Reflection T1 2006

This term I wanted to use pictures more effectively on my blog. I decided to have a Picture Post for each week, where students had to comment with one sentence on a photo. At the end of the week someone (me, my family, my colleagues, a friend overseas, a student volunteer) would pick the comment or two that they liked best. This worked reasonably well, although some pictures generated more language than others. Hard though to generalise as to what made the picture successful. Discussing it in class helped in terms of vocab that they might use. As did class time in the lab to write (especially initially).

Students were happy to send me photos to put on so everyone could see (eg. of BBQ, of students who had left) and I also used more photos eg. of community events.

Students generally (in focus group discussion) seemed to realise that you could write about whatever you wanted on the blog, which was the other thing that I pushed. I tried to tie it in to the workbook and give suggestions. Noriko and Peter in particular, enjoyed writing about their experiences.

Areas to improve on next time

• Get students to comment more
• Teach them how to add photos/sound
• Show them bloglines at the beginning of the term (I did at the end!)
• Make sure they get comments on their blog emailed to them (settings)

One suggestion (Peter) was that they all have access to the class blog to write on, which was exactly what I wanted to do, but felt that we didn't have enough time. Also there needed to be a purpose - task related and I felt that they were overburdened with coursework as it was.

Maybe next term - a wiki where they can write comments about how they feel and what they have learned over the term in relation to the project. Or would this go better on a blog?